Spindle shaper



Jan. 29, 1935. w J. MERRIGAN ISPINDLE SHAPER Filed July 12, 1953 2Sheets-Shee t 1- lTTUJQNEYi Jan. 29, 1935. w, MERRlGAN 1,989,285

SPINDLE SHAPER Filed July 12, 1953 2 sheets-sheet 2 JVVENTUJLEZZPHIEZZN' ZJZTUENEX'JI Patented Jan. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 1,989,285 SPINDLE SHAPER.

Application July 12, 1933, Serial No. 680,087

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in spindle shapers.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved spindle shaperwherein there is a novel,

simple and advantageous construction enabling vertical adjustment of thespindle with respect to the table so that the positions of the cuttersrelatively to the table may be varied.

More specifically an object of the invention is to provide an improvedspindle shaper wherein there is a body providing'a table and a hollowstandard supporting the same. This standard has an opening in its sidefor the passage of a drive belt, and top and bottom bearings for thespindle. A sleeve fits between the bearings pro viding a pulley for thedrive belt and an advantageous construction is provided for adjustablybut rigidly fastening the spindle to the sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fence forspindle shapers which is so designed as to operate not only as a fencebut also as a guard, effectively preventing the operator from becominginjured through inadvertence or accident. The conventional fence forspindle shapers as now constructed consists merely of a casting ofgeneral U shaped form, the ends of the legs being widened to form twosurfaces.

These two surfaces, which are disposed at opposite sides of the spindle,are intended to be in the same plane so that the work may slide smoothlyagainst them. However, in making the fence of a single casting, as isthe conventional practice, certain difiiculties are encountered. Theouter surface of the casting, as is true in most castings, is formed ofmetal which has been quickly chilled by contact with the interior of themold. Consequently on machining the scale or outer skin to form thesurfaces, which are intended to be in the same plane, certain shrinkageor cooling strains in the casting itself are relieved. Consequently bythe time the casting is completely machined across the surfaces, therelieved strains have so warped the 45 casting that the two surfaces areno longer in the same plane. To overcome this the conventional practice"has been to apply separate shims or facing plates to the legs of the Ushaped casting to build out their faces -so that the surfaces 50 formedby these shimsor facing plates will be actually in the same plane. Theimproved design is' such as to enable the formation of a spindle shaperfence of a single integral casting which will enable the machining ofthese faces without causing the casting to warp or become same plane.

distorted so as to move the two faces out of the At the same time theimproved construction provides a suitable guard protecting the operatorfrom becoming injured.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved spindle shaper, illustratingthe improved fence and guard in applied position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 22upon'Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line 3-3upon Figure 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, the improved spindleshaper consists of a body which may be and preferably is formed of asingle large casting providing a table 10, a hollow standard 11, and ahollow base 12. In the standard 11 there is formed an'opening 13 for thepassage of a drive belt 14. The center of the table is recessed, asindicated at 15, and internal flanges 16 and 17 are formed on theinterior of the standard. Within these flanges there are preferablymounted antifriction bearings, shown at 18 and 19. The lower bearing isheld in the flanges by means of a plate or ring 20 and the upper bearingis confined in its flange 16 by two rings or plates 21 between whichthere is a layer of felt or the equivalent indicated at 22 which closelyfits around the spindle so as to prevent shavings and cut-- tingsdropping into the bearings. A sleeve 23 fits snugly between the innerraces of the two bearings 18 and 19. This sleeve has a groove 24 atabout its center so that it provides a pulley for the drive belt 14. Thespindle 25 is disposed within the sleeve and extends through the innerraces of bearings 18 and 19. It carries a cutting means indicated at 26disposed 'above the table top.

A feature of the invention resides in a novel, simple and advantageousconstruction for adjustably mounting the spindle 25 in sleeve 23 so thatthe position of cutter 26"with respect to the table top can be varied.To this end the spindle has a non-circular side, this side being shownas being a fiat side indicated at 27, see Figure 3. In the sleeve 23there is formed a drilled and tapped hole 28, which is approximatelyeven with the bottom of opening 13. Opposite this tapped hole there isformed in the opposite side of the sleeve 23 a drilled hole 29 which isof larger diameter than hole 28 so that the inner end of hole 28 whichcommunicates with hole 29 is enlarged as indicated at 30. In thisenlarged inner end of hole28 there is disposed a shoe 31 which can betightened firmly against the fiat side of spindle 25. On loosening screw34, the head of which is accessible through opening 13, it is possibleto raise or lower spindle 25 with respect to sleeve 23 and thus fastenthe spindle in any adjusted position. Upward movement of the spindle maybe limited by a diametrical pin 32 at the bottom of the spindle.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that ondriving the belt 14 the sleeve 23 wil1 be rotated and the spindle 25 canlikewise be rotated. To vary the position of cutter 26 with respect tothe table top, it is merely necessary to turn the spindle into aposition wherein the head of screw 34 is exposed through opening 13,insert a screwdriver, loosen the screw, and change the position of thespindle with respect to sleeve 23, after which the screw is tightened upagain. A cover plate 33 may be recessed in the top of the table aboutthe spindle.

The fence, illustrated as being mounted on top of the table, consists ofa single casting forming two upright portions 35 and 36, the faces ofwhich, 37 and 38, are intended to be and are in the same plane so as toform a guide against which material to be shaped may be caused to slidein feeding it past the cutter. These upright portions are connected by aconnecting portion 39 in which is formed a semi-circular recess 40 inwhich the upper end of the spindle and the cutter that it carries mayrotate. Integral with the casting there is formed a partial dome 41, theforward side of which is open as indicated at 42, see Figure 2. Thisdome may be apertured as indicated at 43 and the rear side is preferablyopen as indicated at 44 permitting the escape of shavings or cuttingsthrough the back of the dome. As above explained, Where shaper fenceshave been constructed of a single casting without the presence of thedome, on machining the surfaces 37 and 38 and removing the scale orouter skin of chilled metal, the shrinkage stresses which are present inthe connecting portion 39 are relieved on machining faces 3'7 and 38.These stresses become effective to warp the casting sufficiently so thatit is very difificult to machine the two faces exactly in the sameplane. Continued machining merely removes more metal from the uprightportions 35 and 36 and gives the shrinkage stresses in connectingportion 39 a greater opportunity to warp the casting. By forming a dome41 integral with the casting, an effective brace is formed so bracingthe casting that on machining surfaces 3'7 and 38 the casting will notwarp or become distorted so as to throw the two surfaces out ofalignment. In this way and by means of this design it is possible tomake the shaper of a single casting and machine the faces and produce aresulting construction wherein the faces 37 and 38 are in perfectalignment after having been machined. The dome 41 also forms a type ofguard over the semi-circular recess 40 so that the operator cannotthrough inadvertence or accident drag his fingers across the rear sideof the spindle in the path of the cutter. The opening 44 is ofsufficient height to enable the shavings and cuttings to be dischargedtherethrough by the rotating cutter but it is not high enough to allowthe operator's fingers to be inadvertently passed therethrough in thepath of the cutter.

The shaper is fastened to the top of table 10 by means of bolts 45extending through elongated slots 46 in the casting, enabling adjustmentof surfaces 37 and 38 with respect to the cutter on the spindle.

From the construction as above described it will be appreciated that thenovel design overcomes an important problem in attempting to make shaperfences of single castings with machined faces.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising means providing twoco-planar surfaces which are separated by an intervening recess in whichthe cutter of a shaper may rotate, and a partial dome extendingrearwardly from said coplanar surfaces over the recess having an openingin the bottom of its back for the escape of shavings.

2. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising a single castingproviding two coplanar surfaces spaced by a recess in which the cutterof'the shaper may rotate, said casting providing also a partial domeextending outwardly from said coplanar surfaces over the recess, whichdome constitutes a guard.

3. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising a single castingproviding two coplanar surfaces spaced by a recess in which the cutterof the shaper may rotate, said casting providing also a' partial domeextending outwardly from said coplanar surfaces over the recess, whichdome constitutes a guard, said dome having an opening in the bottom ofits back for the escape of cuttings.

4. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising a single castingproviding two spaced, aligned arms which provide'coplanar surfaces, andmeans providing a partial dome connecting the arms, said dome extendingrearwardly from the surfaces.

5. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising a single castingproviding two spaced, aligned arms which provide coplanar surfaces, andmeans providing a partial dome connecting the arms, said dome extendingrearwardly from the surfaces, and forming a top connection connectingthe arms in a substantially vertical plane and also forming a backconnection connecting the arms in a substantially horizontal plane.

6. A fence and guard for spindle shapers comprising a single castingproviding two spaced, aligned arms which provide coplanar surfaces, andmeans providing a partial dome connecting the arms, said dome extendingrearwardly from the surfaces, and forming a top connection connectingthe arms in a substantially vertical plane and also forming a backconnection connecting the arms in a substantially horizontal plane, thebottom of the back of the dome being cut away to provide for the escapeof shavings.

WM. J. MERRIGAN.

